Tide indicator clock

ABSTRACT

A simplified tide indicator clock having a dial and an indicating element for cooperating therewith and relatively movable through a complete cycle from low tide to high tide and back to low tide in 12 hours and 25 minutes, said dial having pictorial indicia thereon progressively illustrating the change in tide conditions so as to graphically designate the present status of the tide for a given location.

United States Patent Appelberg I [54] TIDE INDICATOR CDOCK [72] Inventor: Gustaf T. Appelberg, Fairfield,

Conn.

[73] Assignee: Fail-field County Marine, Inc., Fair field, Conn. v

[22] Filed: May 14, 1971 I [2]] Appl. No.: 143,539

52 user. ..'.s s/3 ,5 /1s2 511 into. ..G04b 19/26 [58] FieldotSearch ..58/3,125B, 152,152A' s 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 32 531; 8/1970 Woodf. ..58/l52R 1 Nov. 28, 1972 Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Edith C. S. Jackman Attorney-Johnson & Kline [57] ABSTRACT tsClaimsA f s m TIDE INDICATOR CLOCK Heretofore tide clocks have been provided which indicate the time of day at which there will be low tide, high tide and the like. These have been expensive instrumentsand do not give a pictorial designation of the present status of the tide for a given location.

The present invention is for a simplified tide indicator which does not showtime of the tide but which rather graphically and pictorially illustrates and indicates the status of the tide at the present time for a given location. Such a tide clock is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is'readily readable to determine the present status of the tide at the said location.

This is accomplished by providing a dial and a cooperating indicating element which-are relatively movable through a cycle, for example from low tide to high tide and back to low tide, in 12 hours and 25 minutes. The dial is provided with a low tide indicia at one edge, a high tide indicia at the opposite edge and has pictorial tide indicia disposed thereon to progressively and graphically illustrate the status of the tide between low tide and high tide.

Preferably the indicating element is fixed and the dial is 'rotatably mounted and revolves with respect thereto. The dial is driven by a suitable power source or timing means to make one .rotation' in 12 hours and 25 minutes. g

The position of the dial is adjustable so that it can be accurately set for a particular tide, say low tide, at a particular location and thereafter it will continuously indicate the tide status or condition at said location;

.Since the indicia on the dial pictorially and graphically illustrates the changing tide, the tide status can be easily and visually determined therefrom for said particular location.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that with the present device itcan bereadily visibly determined whether the tide is risingor falling.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a front view of the device.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of the indicating element 10 is fixed and carried by a panel 11 secured in a housing 12. A dial 13 in the form of a disk is mounted on a shaft 14 extending from a power source or timing mechanism 15 carried by a mounting panel 16 secured in the frame. The dial is rotated thereby relative to the indicating element 10 at the rate of one revolution of the disk for each tide cycle extending from low tide to high tide and back to low tide. Although any suitable mechanical or electrical power source operated by A.C. or DC. current can be employed, itis herein illustrated as being a D.C. electric motor 18 energized by a battery I9 mounted on the fixed panel 16 carried by the housing and rotating th dial in a clockwise direction.

While the dial can be disposed in front of the panel 11 to cooperate with the fixed indicating element 10, it is herein illustrated as being locatedbehind the panel I] to show through a circular opening 20 in the panel as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The dial has on its face suitable indicia for indicating the tide status from low tide to high tide and back to low tide. The edge portion of the dial at the top of FIG. 1 adjacent the indicating element is provided with a light indicia 21 which designates low-tide, and the edge portion of the dial diametrically opposite said low tide portion is provided with a darkv indicia 22 designating high tide. The portions 23, 24 of the dial between low tide and high tide are provided with progressively changing pictorial or graphic indicia indicating the changing tide status. While the indicia can be lines of changing width or dots of increasing diameter extending from low tide to high tide, the indicia is herein illustrated as being of aband 25 of a colorwhich progressively increases in intensity from a very light, low tide indicia to a very dark, high tide indicia so that one looking at the indicator can readily visually'determine whether or not the tide is low tide, half tide or high tide by the color intensity of the indicia adjacent the indica tor element. 7

The tide indicator clock of the present invention can also give a quickly recognizable indication of the nature of the tide, i.e., if it is a rising tide or a falling tide. If the dark high tide indicia 22 is moving upwardly toward the indicator element 10, it indicates a rising tide and if the indicia 22 is moving downwardly from said indicating element, it indicates a falling tide.

If desired, the dial can have in the margin outside of the band 25 suitable legends 26 to further identify the tide representations of the band. As illustrated, these are HIGH TIDE, LOW TIDE, HALF RISING and HALF FALLING. Under some conditions it may be desired to use a dial such as shown at 13a in FIG. 4 wherein particularly distinctive indicia are superposed on the dial to provide a sharp designation of the particular tides. As illustrated, a white or light colored diamond-shaped indicia 30 is superposed on the dial at the low tide point thereof and a dark diamond-shaped indicia 31 is superposed on the dial at the high tide point thereof. When these indicia 30 or 31 cooperate with the triangular indicating element 10, the tide condition can be very accurately and easily determined from a visual inspection of the device.

If desired, the device can have a transparent cover face plate 35 closing the front of the housing and, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, can have a mounting means for the housing, such as aperture 36, in a rear panel 37 carried by the housing whereby the device can be sup ported in a viewing position. Preferably, the rear panel can also be provided with an aperture 37a to provide access to an adjusting knob 38 herein illustrated as a part of the power drive whereby the position of the dial can be readily set.

In use the dial 13 is set bymanipulating the knob 38 to indicate the present status of the tide at a particular location. Usually, this is set at low tide or high tide. Thereafter, the tide indicator clock will accurately continuously present pictorially and graphically the status of the tide for that particular location.

While the device of the present invention can be made up of any suitable plastic material and be illuminated or not as desired, it is herein shown as having a metal housing, a paper or cardboard dial, a glass front I dial at the rate of one revolution for each 12 hours and 25 minutes, said dial having low tide indicia on one edge portion and high tide indicia on a diametrically opposed edge portion and having continuously varying partial tide indicia disposed on the dial between said low tide and high tide indicia, said indicia cooperating with the indicating element to visually designate the present status of the tide for a given location.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the low tide and high tide indicia on the dial are distinctively shaped so as to be readily visible to indicate the status of the tide.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the low tide and high tide indicia on the dial are distinctively colored.

4. In a tide indicator clock, a dial, an indicating element cooperating with said dial, means mounting the dial and indicating element for relative rotation, timing means for producing continuous relative rotation at the rate of one cycle of relative rotation for each 12 hours and 25 minutes, said dial having low tide indicia on one edge portion and high tide indicia on a diametrically opposed edge portion and having pictorial tide indicia disposed on the dial between said low tide and high tide indicia progressively illustrating the changing tide conditions, said indicia cooperating with the indicating ele-- ment to designate the present status of the tide for a given location.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the timing means is provided with means for adjusting'the position of the dial relative to the indicating element. 

1. In a tide indicator clock, a dial, means mounting the dial for rotation, a fixed indicating element cooperating with said dial, timing means rotating said dial at the rate of one revolution for each 12 hours and 25 minutes, said dial having low tide indicia on one edge portion and high tide indicia on a diametrically opposed edge portion and having continuously varying partial tide indicia disposed on the dial between said low tide and high tide indicia, said indicia cooperating with the indicating element to visually designate the present status of the tide for a given location.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the low tide and high tide indicia on the dial are distinctively shaped so as to be readily visible to indicate the status of the tide.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the low tide and high tide indicia on the dial are distinctively colored.
 4. In a tide indicator clock, a dial, an indicating element cooperating with said dial, means mounting the dial and indicating element for relative rotation, timing means for producing continuous relative rotation at the rate of one cycle of relative rotation for each 12 hours and 25 minutes, said dial having low tide indicia on one edge portion and high tide indicia on a diametrically opposed edge portion and having pictorial tide indicia disposed on the dial between said low tide and high tide indicia progressively illustrating the changing tide conditions, said indicia cooperating with the indicating element to designate the present status of the tide for a given location.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the timing means is provided with means for adjusting the position of the dial relative to the indicating element. 